Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute to honor Raphael Lemkin and Admiral Louis Dartige du Fournet

The Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute will pay tribute to Raphael Lemkin, the Polish lawyer known for coining the term “genocide”, and French Admiral Louis Dartige du Fournet, whose actions saved thousands of Armenians during the genocide. Their names will be added to the Commemoration Wall at Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan. 

The names of the predominantly Armenian towns and villages of the Ottoman Empire where the mass deportations and massacres took place are engraved on the 100-meter long Commemoration Wall. Since 1996, the other side of the wall honors the foreign public and political figures and scholars who raised their voice against the genocide perpetrated by the Turkish authorities; the names include Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Fridtjof Nansen, Pope Benedict XV, US Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire during the Armenian Genocide Henry Morgenthau, Danish missionary Karen Jeppe and others. 

Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Director Edita Gzoyan highlighted that Lemkin is also known for campaigning to establish the Genocide Convention. In his huge scientific legacy, Lemkin paid special attention to the examination of the Armenian Genocide. “Valuing Raphael Lemkin’s role and his work, it has been decided than on June 24, his birthday, we will solemnly add his name on the Commemoration Wall, which will be an important event,” Gzoyan said.

The name of French Admiral Louis Dartige du Fournet will also be added. Louis Dartige du Fournet’s action saved the lives of nearly 4000 Armenians during the self-defense battle of Musa Dagh (Musa Ler) during the Armenian Genocide.